Wz wcn 0626

Washington County News

NEWS
Washington County
w w w. c h i p l e y p a p e r. c o m
Wednesday, JUNE 26, 2013
CHIPLEYPAPER.COM
Audit focuses on water department
IN BRIEF Auditor: Wausau
Miss Firecracker
Pageant Saturday
VERNON — The annual
Miss Firecracker
Pageant will be at 2
p.m. Saturday at the
Vernon Community
Center.
Sign-in will be at 11
a.m. Attire is formal.
All winners will
receive a sash, crown
and trophy except for
Baby Miss, who will
receive a bib, crown
and trophy.
To compete in the
photogenic category,
the application and
photo must be turned
in 24 hours before
the pageant. Photos
must be at least a 4x6
but no larger than an
8x10.
For more information,
call Vernon City Hall
at 535-2444 or Laura
Brewer at 326-8738.
partment is working on a very tight
budget.
Hilton Galloway of the CPA firm
Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC of Enterprise, Ala., told the Town Council on Thursday the town showed
$75,000 in assets and $32,000 in
deficits for a balance of $42,000 in
unassigned funds.
By RANDAL SEYLER
“You’re right where you should
638-0212 | @WCN_HCT
be, but you should think about tryrseyler@chipleypaper.com
ing to build up some reserves,”
WAUSAU — An audit of Wausau’s Galloway said. The water departfinances shows the town’s finances ment revenues covered the departare improving, but the water de- ment’s expenses, but just barely.
needs to build
up reserves
Wausau’s financial health hinges on the performance of its water
department.
“The town has so much wrapped
up in assets; you need to address
that,” Galloway said. “I understand
you raised water rates last year,
and you will need to address that
again this year. You cannot go to
sleep on the water department.”
Rate increases will help keep
the balance sheets in the black,
but Mayor BJ Phillips said he
hopes the town can get ahead to
the point it doesn’t have to raise
CHIPLEY — The
Washington County
School Board will have
a special meeting
at 4 p.m. Thursday,
June 27, at the district
administration building.
By RANDAL SEYLER
638-0212 | @WCN_HCT
rseyler@chipleypaper.com
Phone: 850-638-0212
Web site: chipleypaper.com
Fax: 850-638-4601
2013
See WATERMELON A2
See ATTORNEY A2
Children enjoy the watermelon roll at the 2012 Panhandle Watermelon Festival. The watermelon roll,
seed spitting contest and other fun activities will return to Pals Park on Friday night with the opening
of this year’s Watermelon Festival.
Let the good times roll
Andy Griggs, Joe Diffie
to perform free concert
By RANDAL SEYLER
Opinion .................................A4
Outdoors ...............................A6
Sports ...................................A7
Extra.....................................B1
Faith .....................................B4
Obituaries .............................B5
Classifieds .............................B7
community to the festival,” Peel
said.
Gates will open at 5 p.m. Friday
at Pals Park, and the event is free
and open to the public.
Andy Griggs is an American
country music artist. He has released three albums for RCA Records Nashville — “You Won’t Ever
Be Lonely,” “Freedom” and “This
I Gotta See” — and a fourth, “The
Good Life,” for Montage Music
VERNON — With practically
no discussion by the members,
the Vernon City Council voted
to hire Chipley attorney Michelle Blankenship Tagert as
the new city attorney.
Tagert wasn’t the first person nominated for the job,
however.
Councilman Tray Hawkins
made a motion that the city
reinstate former city attorney
Kerry Adkison, but the motion
died for a lack of a second.
Chairwoman Tina Sloan
said Adkison had sent an email
to the council asking to be reconsidered for the position of
city attorney.
At the June 17 city council
workshop, Panama City attorney Charles J. Stafford and
Tagert both submitted proposals for service to the city of Vernon, and both attorneys made
presentations to the council.
Tagert offered to serve the
city for a $500 monthly retainer,
RANDAL SEYLER | The News
638-0212 | @WCN_HCT
rseyler@chipleypaper.com
INDEX
See AUDIT A2
Tagert chosen to
represent Vernon
GRACEVILLE — The
School Board to
meet Thursday
rates every year.
The town received grants last
year that inflated the 2012 revenue
streams. “It’s hard to put your
arms around the figures of 2012
and get a real good idea of what
you really had,” Galloway said.
The water department ended
the year with a $183 deficit, which
Galloway said was “not enough to
say or do anything about.”
With the current rates, the water department is taking in just
Council
hires
new city
attorney
PANHANDLE WATERMELON FESTIVAL
Graceville Mt. Zion
to have Saturday
Sing
public is invited to the
Fifth Saturday Sing at
6:30 p.m. Saturday at
East Mt. Zion United
Methodist Church.
Refreshments will
be provided, and
musicians and singers
welcome.
50¢
Volume 90, Number 21
CHIPLEY — The 57th annual Panhandle Watermelon Festival kicks
off Friday, June 28, at Pals Park
with concerts by Andy Griggs at 6
p.m. and Joe Diffie at 7:30 p.m.
“This type of quality entertainment is really special,” Festival
Chairman Colby Peel said Thursday at the Washington County
Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Peel said he has received numerous calls from surrounding
communities asking how it is possible for Washington County to put
on such an event for free.
“For a community our size to be
able to bring in acts like this and
have the event free really says a
lot about the commitment by this
Business coach: ‘Health and happiness’ also parts of success
Seminar planned for
July 17 in Chipley
small business owner can use in his
own working life, said certified business coach Mark Raciappa.
Raciappa is a business coach
with ActionCOACH of Tallahassee, and he was the guest speaker
By RANDAL SEYLER
at Thursday’s Washington County
638-0212 | @WCN_HCT
Chamber of Commerce meeting.
rseyler@chipleypaper.com
Small business owners tend to
CHIPLEY — Leverage is dividing work harder and longer hours than
up work to get greater results — most people, and they also tend to
and leverage is a tool the average work more than their employees,
TRI-COUNT Y
WASHINGTON I HOLMES I JACKSON
Raciappa said. Having employees
to whom tasks can be delegated
can go a long way toward improving the quality of life for a business
owner or supervisor.
“There are a lot of definitions of
success, but health and happiness
are two of the most important,” Raciappa said. Dividing up work not
only multiplies the results, it frees
up the business owner or supervisor to have free time to enjoy life.
“When you reach a milestone,
even a small one, you should celebrate it,” Raciappa said. That goes
for business as well as life, and
while supervisors may be quick
to compliment or praise an employee, they should also be able to
commend themselves on a job well
done.”
Raciappa will present a seminar
See BUSINESS A2
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For the latest
breaking news, visit
Best of Tri-County
INSIDE
Local
A2 | Washington County News
AUDIT from page A1
ATTORNEY from page A1
City Clerk Margaret Riley also presented the council with an advertisement for
approval. The town will be searching for a
new city clerk, and Riley suggested they
begin advertising as soon as possible for
her replacement. Riley announced her intention to retire in September during the
June 13 town council meeting.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;It looks like a large job description,
but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a large job,â&#x20AC;? Phillips said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We definitely want to find someone who is well
qualified.â&#x20AC;?
WATERMELON from page A1
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
FRIDAY
5 p.m.: Pals Park Opens
6 p.m.: Andy Griggs
7:30 p.m.: Joe Diffie
SATURDAY
7 a.m.: Pancake breakfast
at Shriners Club, off
Brickyard Road. Tickets at
door.
7:30 a.m.: Hot Trot Road
Race at Washington Holmes
Technical Center, Hoyt
Street. Front entrance to
register.
All day: Vendors at
Washington County
Agricultural Center. Call
638-6180 for information.
All day: Antique Car
Show at WHTC. Call John
Ostrowski at 638-7370.
All day: Horseshoe Pitch
behind ag center. Entries
welcome. Call John
Claghorn at 638-1625.
10 a.m.: Parade. Lineup
starts at 9 a.m. at Old High
School Stadium. Call Greg
Hutchin at 638-1180.
11 a.m.: Crossroads
Gospel Quartet at ag center
auditorium.
Noon: Big Watermelon
Contest and Auction at ag
center auditorium.
1:30 p.m.: Dailey & Vincent
in concert at ag center
auditorium
done. The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insurance provider, the
Florida League of Cities, denied the claim,
saying the city was not responsible for the
damage.
In the June 17 workshop, City Clerk
Dian Hendrix advised the council that the
League of Cities recommended they not
pay for damages the insurance company
found them not responsible for paying. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It
would set a bad precedent,â&#x20AC;? Hendrix said.
She reiterated it on Monday.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;They recommended against us doing
anything,â&#x20AC;? Hendrix said.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can understand where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re coming from,â&#x20AC;? Hawkins told Brown, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but we
have to do whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best for the city.â&#x20AC;?
Hendrix provided Brown with contact
information for the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insurance provider so he could pursue an appeal.
Mayor Michelle Cook reminded everyone of the July 4 celebration planned in
Vernon, which will begin with a parade at
4 p.m. and end with fireworks at 9 p.m.
There will be food, vendors and entertainment by Gilleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Family Opry.
The Miss Firecracker Pageant will be
Saturday in Vernon, and the starting time
has been changed to 2 p.m. because the
Watermelon Festival also is taking place
Saturday, the mayor said.
BUSINESS from page A1
for Chamber members from 9 to 11 a.m.
July 17 at the Northwest Florida Community Hospital Specialty Center, and attendance is free for members.
One of the topics will be Raciappaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
SYSTEM, an acronym for Saving You
Stress Time Energy and Money.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leverage is all about SYSTEM,â&#x20AC;? Raciappa said. The program is based on
Bradley Sugarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Instant Systems,â&#x20AC;?
which â&#x20AC;&#x153;educates entrepreneurs on the
benefits of systemizing work processes
within their businesses so that the enterprises can function without the direct
interference of the business owner,â&#x20AC;? according to the website instantsystems.
net.
Sugars is a business coach, author
and CEO of ActionCOACH, which is â&#x20AC;&#x153;the
worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number one business and executive coaching firm â&#x20AC;&#x201D; home to more than
1,000 offices in 26 countries,â&#x20AC;? according to
the website.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Focus on making one improvement
in your life a week,â&#x20AC;? Raciappa said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A
journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single
step. If you make one goal a week, even
a small one, and you do that every week,
thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no limit to how far you can go.
Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be amazed.â&#x20AC;?
Chamber Executive Director Ted Everett also invited members from Holmes
and Jackson County chambers to attend
the seminar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to be more inter-
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RANDAL SEYLER | The News
Certified business coach Mark
Raciappa makes a point while
Washington County Chamber of
Commerce Executive Director Ted
Everett looks on during Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Chamber meeting.
active and support each othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; events,â&#x20AC;?
Everett said.
Call the Washington County Chamber
of Commerce at 638-4157 to register.
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Group. These four albums have accounted for 13
singles on the Billboard country charts, of which
the highest are â&#x20AC;&#x153;You Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Ever Be Lonelyâ&#x20AC;? and
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s More,â&#x20AC;? both of which peaked at No. 2. He
also charted â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grow Young With You,â&#x20AC;? a cut from
the soundtrack to the film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where the Heart Is.â&#x20AC;?
Joe Diffie is an American country music singer
known for his ballads and novelty songs. Diffie has
charted 35 songs on the Billboard Hot Country
Songs chart, including five No. 1 singles: his debut
release â&#x20AC;&#x153;Home.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;If the Devil Danced (In Empty
Pockets),â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Third Rock from the Sun,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pickup
Manâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bigger Than the Beatles.â&#x20AC;?
In addition to these cuts, he has 12 other top 10
singles and 10 other top 40 hits on the same chart.
He also co-wrote singles for Holly Dunn, Tim McGraw and Jo Dee Messina and has recorded with
Mary Chapin Carpenter, George Jones and Marty
Stuart.
On Saturday, the festival begins with a Pancake
Breakfast at 7 a.m. hosted by the Shriners Club and
the 35th annual Hot Trot 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run at
7:30 a.m. at Washington-Holmes Technical Center.
There is a fee for both the breakfast and the run.
There will also be a car show all day at Washington Holmes Technical Center in conjunction with
the festival.
The Watermelon Festival Parade is at 10 a.m.
in downtown Chipley on Saturday, and at 11 a.m.
festivities continue at the Washington County Agricultural Center, beginning with a concert by Crossroads at 11 a.m. The queen introduction will be at
11:45 a.m., and the annual watermelon auction begins at noon at the ag center.
Bluegrass group Dailey and Vincent will perform at 1:30 p.m. to conclude the event. There will
also be arts and crafts vendors set up at the ag center on Saturday. Admission to all ag center events
is free.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to also provide more attractions
for kids,â&#x20AC;? Peel said. In addition to the perennial
favorites of watermelon rolling and seed spitting
contests, there will be bounce houses, face painting and, of course, free watermelon at the festival
on Friday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be a big weekend, and
weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all looking forward to it. Come out and enjoy;
thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be something for everyone.â&#x20AC;?
which would include attendance at two
meetings and two hours of legal service
per month. Services beyond the two hours
would be billed at $150 per hour.
Stafford offered to attend two meetings
a month for a $500 monthly retainer and
would bill the city at $200 per hour for legal services. Travel expenses were negotiable, Stafford said.
After the motion to rehire Adkison died,
Councilman Joey Brock made the motion
to hire Tagert. Only Hawkins voted against
hiring the Chipley attorney.
Resident Bill Dobbins asked the council to reconsider their decision. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the
city is making a huge mistake,â&#x20AC;? Dobbins
said.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure you hired a good attorney,
and Mr. Stafford would be a good attorney
too, but Adkison is already up to speed on
the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pending litigation. I think you are
looking at spending a whole lot of money,â&#x20AC;?
Dobbins said.
Stafford was the only attorney present
at Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting.
Resident Ronnie Brown returned to
the council to discuss damage to his son,
Gavin Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, automobile wheels. Brown
said the damage was caused by a utility
cut on the roadway that was improperly
enough to operate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eventually, you are
going to need to make repairs, or buy
equipment,â&#x20AC;? Galloway said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is when
you will really need to have some reserves
in the water department.â&#x20AC;?
The auditor recommended the council
members remain diligent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to be
cognizant of what the water department is
doing each month,â&#x20AC;? Galloway said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You
almost have the perfect storm in operating by taking in just exactly what you need
to operate the system.â&#x20AC;?
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Local
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Washington County News | A3
Mauldin joins
Veteran says planning commissioners insulted him
Washington County
Extension Office
By RANDAL SEYLER
638-0212 | @WCN_HCT
rseyler@chipleypaper.com
Natural Resources and will include agronomic
CHIPLEY â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mark
crops,
forages,
Mauldin recently
livestock and the
joined the facyouth animal sciulty of the UF
ence program.
IFAS Washington
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Markâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eduCounty Extension
MARK
cational qualificaOffice.
MAULDIN
tions and practical
Mauldin
is
experiences will
a University of
Florida graduate with a make him an outstandBachelor of Science de- ing addition to our office.
gree in Animal Science With the Watermelon Fesand a Master of Science tival next week, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have
in Agricultural Educa- the opportunity to meet
tion and Communica- many of his extension clition; he also holds minor entele,â&#x20AC;? stated Julie Pigdegrees in Agronomy ott Dillard, County Extenand Food and Resource sion Director.
To contact Mauldin,
Economics.
Mauldinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
program call 850-638-6180 or email
area is Agriculture and him at mdm83@ufl.edu.
Caryville man arrested
on porn charges
From Staff Reports
were present. Children
aged 11 and 13 saw the
CHIPLEY â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A Caryville material on several difman was arrestferent occasions,
ed on charges of
according to the
porn distribution,
report.
according to a
The sheriff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Washington Counoffice executed a
ty Sheriff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office
search
warrant
report.
of the suspectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Matthew
home at 4414
Thomas McCarMATTHEW
Chambers St. in
thy, 21, of Caryville
Caryville.
DurTHOMAS
was charged with
ing the search,
McCARTHY
three counts of
investigators said
distributing obscene ma- they found several pornoterials to minors.
graphic DVDs described
The sheriff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office was by the victims as the ones
alerted to the incident by they had viewed, accorda neighbor of the victims, ing to the report.
who observed pornoMcCarthy is being held
graphic materials being at the Washington County
displayed while minors Jail.
RANDAL SEYLER | The News
Miles Anderson speaks with Commissioner Charles Brock at the Washington
County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Thursday.
Planning Commission Chairman Al
Keowan agreed with Hagan and asked
Anderson to address all questions to
the chairman. Anderson objected to the
change in procedure mid-discussion.
commissioners had adopted a set of procedures
and asked if the discussion
should not go through the
chairman.
Planning
Commission Chairman Al Keowan
agreed with Hagan and
asked Anderson to address
all questions to the chairman. Anderson objected
to the change in procedure
mid-discussion.
Anderson also said that
Commission Vice Chairman David Morris was
â&#x20AC;&#x153;combativeâ&#x20AC;? in his questioning of Anderson about
the property, which was
not identified during the
meeting, but Senior Planner Mike DeRuntz divulged
the general area of which
Anderson was speaking by
pointing it out on the map.
High School Senior with Heart
Disorder Finds Cure at Bay Medical
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